Diana Wynne Jones: Castle in the Air (2012, HarperCollins Publishers Limited)
English language
Published Nov. 13, 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers Limited.
Having long indulged himself in daydreams more exciting than his mundane life as a carpet merchant, Abdullah unexpectedly purchases a magic carpet and his life changes dramatically as his daydreams come true and dangerous adventures become daily fare.
This should be a 4-star. I liked the characters, I liked the adventure, I liked the writing. But it was just so awkwardly Orientalist. White British lady writing this was...
Abdullah sells carpets for a living. However, he is constantly dreaming of being the lost son of a king and one night his dreams come true, the good and the bad ones. When his love is taken away by an evil djinn, Abdullah starts a long journey on his magic carpet in search of his kidnapped princess that was taken to a castle in the air.
This became one of my favourite books (and my favourite from the trilogy) the first time I read it. I do not know if it was because I already knew what would happen, but this time it did not feel as funny as I remembered. I did not laugh out loud through all the brilliant chaos. I guess this one does not work as well the second time round, but reading Diana Wynne Jones is always a pleasure. This is a great book to …
Abdullah sells carpets for a living. However, he is constantly dreaming of being the lost son of a king and one night his dreams come true, the good and the bad ones. When his love is taken away by an evil djinn, Abdullah starts a long journey on his magic carpet in search of his kidnapped princess that was taken to a castle in the air.
This became one of my favourite books (and my favourite from the trilogy) the first time I read it. I do not know if it was because I already knew what would happen, but this time it did not feel as funny as I remembered. I did not laugh out loud through all the brilliant chaos. I guess this one does not work as well the second time round, but reading Diana Wynne Jones is always a pleasure. This is a great book to read out loud, it transpires magic and fairy tales.
